One Last Swing
by Mr. Holocene
Summary: Peter Parker is a broken man. The city he protected since he was a boy has moved onto the younger generation and left him behind. His old team no longer trusts him. Putting the mantle of Spider-man aside, Peter struggles to keep living. But when an old enemy from the past emerges, Peter must find the strength to be Spider-man one last time.


Peter sat in his apartment, the dim light from his crappy tv illuminating his face as he sat on his couch. His eyes heavily stared at the screen as he saw the news in front of him.

_"Once again folks, Spider-man's quick thinking, and bravery saved lives today in Central Park, where he was able to apprehend not only the Lizard but also Kraven the Hunter. The Avengers arrived soon after Spider-man stopped the evil duo and helped escort the villains to Rykers. Back to you Jameson." _The reporter on the TV said with a smile.

_"Thanks, Anderson. Well people, Spider-man once again has saved the day. But this isn't the same old, red and blue menace! No, its a younger, better, Spider-man. This Spiderman? He's a real hero. He's even been on the Avengers, working alongside Iron-man and Thor. This Spider-man is a true hero, just what this city needs! He-" _

Peter shut the TV off, killing the only source of light in the apartment to go off. He took a swig of the beer bottle in his hand, feeling some liquid slip past his lips and run down his chin. Peter was definitely proud of Miles. The kid had an amazing job of being Spider-man, having a better start to the superhero career than he did. Just a teenager and Miles was a member of the Avengers. The youngest to ever be an official member. Peter had spent his teenage years stopping robberies and the occasional city threat, but Miles was already doing Avenger-level threats. Peter felt ashamed of himself, thinking of Miles in such a jealous way.

Soft tapping came from his window. He turned his head to see Miles in his red and black costume sitting at his window. Peter waved him in and Miles entered the apartment.

Miles walked forward and took his mask off. "Damn, it's so dark in here, Pete." Miles walked over to the wall and flicked a switch on the wall. The lights turned on and Peter groaned as his sensitive eyes burned to the sudden change in lighting.

"Boss, are you okay?" Miles asked softly, walking to the older superhero and taking a seat next to him. Peter's hair was messy and he was slowly growing a beard. Miles could smell the alcohol on Peter. Peter's eyes were heavy, dark, tired bags showed his exhaustion. "When did you last sleep?"

"Yesterday...I think." Peter said with a sigh. "what brings you around, Miles?"

"People are worried about your boss. The Avengers-"

"I don't give a damn about the Avengers." Peter spat. "Turning their backs on me twice, after Otto, after the whole Hydra fiasco? I had to shut down Parker Industries! And yet, its always 'Spider-man is the bad guy! Peter Parker is the bad guy!' Well, everyone just grovels over Cap coming back. Believing all that bullshit about the cosmic cube! And no one believes Otto taking over my body!" Peter yelled, his voice quivering at the end. His hands were trembling with rage, with fear, with sadness.

Miles grasped Peter's forearm to stop the trembling and looked at him in the eyes. "I know what you did, Peter. You did the right thing. I've spoken for you time and time again with the Avengers. Believe it or not, there are some there who don't see you the way you think they do. Hyperion, Ronin, Vision, they are just some to name."

Peter's eyes narrowed before he got up from his chair and walked towards the fridge, opening it to retrieve another beer. Miles shot a web and yanked it out of Peter's hand. "Peter, when was the last time you talked to anyone? People have told me they've tried calling you or texting you. People are worried."

"Give me the bottle, Miles," Peter said in a low tone.

Miles looked at his mentor in the eyes. "Peter, answer my question first."

Peter scowled. "Why bother answering the phone? No hero work left me for me to do! Logan's busy, the Avengers think I'm scum, and the city is in love with you!"

Miles face softened, obviously hurt by what Peter had said. "You're blaming me?"

"Miles, no. I-" Peter pinched the brim of his nose in frustration. "Kid, I'm not mad with you. I'm happy for you."

"You're clearly not! Sitting here, sulking and drinking because I'm Spider-man? I never told you to stop being a hero! You're the one that quit!"

"I quit because my life was fucking ruined!" Peter shouted back to Miles. "Tony Stark has Mary Jane, Aunt May is dead, Otto stole my life from me TWICE, and no one trusts me anymore. Don't like what you see? Well, this is the curse of being Spider-man, Miles!" Peter was breathing heavily, his arms shaking again. "This fucking honeymoon you have with the city? It's nice, isn't it? Well, it's not going to last forever. Will the city still love you when people start to die because of you? When you fail them? You'll end up just. like. me."

Miles stared at his friend in shock, tears being fought back. He tossed the beer bottle back to Peter and walked towards the window, pulling his mask over his face. Without a word, he leapt out into the night, leaving Peter alone. Again.

* * *

_You idiot. _

_Way to go Pete. _

_Crushed the poor kid's spirit. _

_What kind of monster are you?_

_He's a better Spider-man, a better person than you ever could hope to be. _

_Aunt May would be disgusted. _

_Uncle Ben would be disgusted. _

_Gwen would be disgusted. _

Thoughts ran through Peter's head like lightning as he spent the next days reflecting on his actions, wallowing in shame and pity over what he had said to Miles. Miles came to see him because he cared about Peter's safety, and Peter pushed him away like a monster.

The phone calls stopped. Nobody called or tried to check in on him. He was alone again. Him and the bottles.

Drink. Drink again. Cry. Drink.

The pattern repeated again and again until his landlord evicted him for not paying his rent.

_"Look, Parker, I like you. But I've given you lots of time and grace on the rent. I've got no choice to evict you, man." _Peter merely grunted and packed his clothes in a bag before moving out to the streets. In the day, he would survive, going to soup kitchens and scavenging food. At night, he would move up to the rooftops and sleep, or take his rage out on people haggling him.

* * *

Days turned into weeks which turned into months. Peter's beard was long and mangey, as was his hair. His body as taken too much abuse from the alcohol and he found himself coughing up blood.

Time and time again, he saw that Miles was being praised and hailed by the city, by the Avengers. Peter so desperately wanted to apologize to Miles, to congratulate him. But he had lost the chance, the friendship to do so.

"This is no way to live," Peter said to himself as he trudged through the city.

* * *

Miles swung through the air as he headed towards the Avengers Tower. There was a meeting about branching out more and sending a few Avengers to space to help with the Guardians who were hunting down The Black Order.

As Miles landed on a building, his Spider-sense rang like a siren in his head, alerting him to the danger, but he didn't know what the danger was. The ground beneath him erupted and gave away as he fell through the rubble, crashing to the ground.

Miles groaned in pain, pushing himself up to his feet and regaining his sense.

"Hello there, Spider!" A voice laughed sinisterly before an orange pumpkin bounced towards Miles' feet and exploded, the flames licking Mile's costume. He screamed in pain and tried to pat out the fire on him.

Norman Osborn stepped forward with an evil grin on his face, his yellow eyes shining around the green mask. "You're not the Spider-man, I'm looking for. You're younger, smaller, slower."

Norman ran forward trying to punch Miles, who dodged it with his Spider-sense and kicked Norman in the ribs, pushing him back. Norman just laughed maniacally.

"Good kick! Parker's taught you well. But I'm the Green Goblin. I'm everything Spider-man hates. And I will ruin you!" Norman lunged at Miles and grabbed his costume before punching him in the face and into the wall behind him. Miles fired a web at Norman, attaching him to a pillar nearby.

"Clever, clever!" Norman cackled, then with a grunt, he pulled himself through the webbing. He raised his hand which held a detonator and grinned. Miles' spider-sense screamed at him and the wall behind him exploded.

* * *

Peter Parker was in a bar, with a broom in hand, sweeping up the trash. He had found a new job in one of the bars doing odd jobs. Cleaning, packing, stacking. He was getting himself back on his feet. But in his mind, Peter Parker had died many years ago. He was now Ben Reilly, a low-income bum working in a bar.

As he was sweeping, someone raised the volume on the TV and Peter turned his head to see what was on the news.

_"This footage is live in Times Square, Spider-man is currently in a battle with the Green Goblin, who was assumed to be dead. We highly advise that everyone stay away..." _

Peter watched in horror as he saw Miles being destroyed by Norman, who was toying with the younger superhero.

"Hey, Ben. You think Spidey will survive this one?" A regular asked, turning back to Peter. But Peter wasn't there. All that was there was a broom.

* * *

"Alright, Spider-boy," Norman spat coldly, backhanding Miles to the ground. "Contact Parker and this will end."

"I...wish... I wish I ... could" Miles struggled to get out, gasping for breath, trying to not focus on the pain.

Norman delivered a lethal kick to Miles' ribs and Miles cried out in pain, rolling away and trying to crawl to getaway. "Well then, it seems the only way to draw him out it to kill you!"

Norman raised his hands to deliver a final blow but found himself pulled back through the air and into a nearby car. He looked up to see a man in sweatpants and a white t-shirt and the classic Spider-man mask standing before him.

"Hello, Parker. So happy to see you" Norman laughed, spitting blood out and wiping it off his lips.

"I'm going to kill you Norman," Peter said in a low voice.

Norman's sadistic smile extended even farther. "Yes! No holding back! Just one last battle!" Norman leaped forward to Peter, who did the same, both men roaring in anger.

Peter ducked from Norman's punch and tackled him, using his super-strength to up into the air with Norman. Norman took a knife from his satchel and drove it deep into Peter's back, laughing as he did so. Peter did his best to ignore the pain and flip kicked the airborne villain, before webbing himself to the building in front of them and pulling as hard as he could, thrusting his legs into Norman's chest, sending them both into the building, through the glass of the building.

Norman began laughing as he used the rubble around himself to hoist himself to his feet. "Damn Parker, I think you broke something. Ah well. At least this fight is now even."

"What do you mean?"

Norman grinned before stepping forward. "That knife I stabbed you with? Made with the same stuff that Mysterio uses to cancel your 'spider-sense.' Heh." Norman ran forward to Peter with his fists raised. Peter knew Norman was right when he wasn't warned of anything coming at him. Luckily, Peter had learned how to fight without relying on his sixth sense. Peter blocked Norman's punches and delivered a punch square in Norman's chest, then shot a web-line to the maniacal bastard and yanked him back towards him, through the broken window and crashing down onto the street below.

Norman still laughed but didn't get up. "Ah. Think that last punch is going to do me in, Parker." He spoke, starting at his rival with twisted glee. "I'm just glad the last person to do me in was you."

Peter leaped down to Norman and stood over him. "Are you happy with the life you lived, Norman? Was it all worth it? The lives you took? The destruction you caused?"He took a deep breath and coughed, raising his mask to spit out the blood. "I-"

_SHNK_

Peter lurched forward, being pushed towards Norman by something behind him. He looked down to see a blade protruding from his chest. Blood trickled down his mouth and Peter dropped to his knees. Meanwhile, Norman rose up, clutching his side. He took off his mask and looked down at Peter. "How fitting. You die the same way I did."

Peter glared at Norman. "I won't go alone, you bastard." Peter leapt forward, using the remainder of his strength and grabbed Norman's shoulders. Crying out in pain, he pulled Norman onto the same blade in his chest and felt Norman's blood splatter on his face, gasping in shock as the blade rip through him.

"Well...played...Peter." Norman said before going limp. Peter fell to the ground, feeling life fade from him.

_"Peter?" _A soft angelic voice asked. Peter tried to focus his eyes on what was before him. The voice took form and before him was Gwen Stacey.

"Gwen? Wha-"

_"Shhh. It's alright. You've done your part. Rest now, Peter. Come home to me."_

Miles ran over to Peter's body. "Nononononono. Peter! Stay with me man, come on!" He pulled Norman's body off the glider's blade, and put his finger on Peter's neck, feeling for a pulse.

"Miles..." Peter spoke softly. "Miles... I'm so sorry."

"Stay with me, Pete!" Miles said, thinking of what to do to save his old mentor.

"Be better than me kid, be better..." Peter said, air escaping out on his last words. The pulse stopped.

_"Peter, are you ready?" _

_"I'm ready, Gwen." _

_"You did good, Peter. I'm so proud of you." _


End file.
